At the end of July the length of the track for the Tryon FEI World Equestrian Games (North Carolina) cross-country course, was in question due to weather-related construction delays, but the Fédération Equestre Internationale has announced that the course will run at the full 5,700-meter length.
A few nations, such as Australia, were waiting for this information before naming their teams.
“As the FEI have recently advised us that there may be some fairly significant changes to the length of the cross-country course this may have an impact on our selection tactics, and so we are awaiting final notification before we select the five combinations to represent Australia at Tryon,” said Chef d’Equipe Stuart Tinney at the time.
Photo by Lindsay Berreth
FEI officials said the final decision would be made before the nominated entry deadline of Aug. 13.
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“Work on the cross-country footing at Tryon is ongoing as there is an area on the course that has been impacted by recent heavy rain. This may have a bearing on the length of the course but will not affect the technical difficulty of the track,” an FEI spokesperson told the Chronicle on July 26.
On Aug. 10 the FEI stated that FEI Eventing Committee Chair David O’Connor was onsite at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, to review the course.
“Preparation work on the footing has progressed greatly following a very wet spring and, in consultation with course designer Captain Mark Phillips and the Tryon organizing committee, it is confirmed that the full 5,700m track is ready for the WEG eventing cross-country according to the technical level specified in the Eventing Rules,” read the statement. “As foreseen in the rules, modifications can be made to the course by the Ground Jury during the event should adverse weather conditions be expected.”
The course will feature 42 jumping efforts with an optimum time of 10 minutes. Of concern was the new 600-meter uphill climb that’s been under construction. Phillips confirmed on the U.S. Eventing Association’s most recent podcast that the first 8 minutes and 45 seconds of the course will run on grass, followed by 150 meters of all-weather footing, then back on grass at the end of the ninth minute. The course will finish in the main stadium on all-weather footing with the final fence.
